I'm Here
by doctorameliashepherdess
Summary: If she wasn't going to let him in, then he'd sit right there on the outside until she did. He couldn't let her close in on herself. They'd come so far- she'd come so far- too far to have that happen. There was no way in hell that he would let go back to bottling it all in. He needed her to let it out.


Owen Hunt was beaming. There was a smile stretched across his face, a bounce in his step, and a glimmer in his eye that could only be the product of one person. He was headed to a date. Well, sort of. The problem was that it was to take place in the cafeteria of Grey-Sloan Memorial and neither of them had actually labeled it a date out loud. It was the best they could do, though, considering their schedules as a neurosurgeon and trauma surgeon. Plus, they were still learning to navigate "take two" of their relationship.

With that, Owen neared the on-call room he and Amelia had agreed to meet in. They knew the reputation of the room- hell they perpetuated the cliche of it- but they had promised each other that they would have dinner and a proper conversation before any on-call room activities.

As he reached the room, Owen's hand turned the doorknob while he spoke in an animated tone.

"You ready to go, Meels?" he cheerily asked before realizing that he just walked into a dark room. Confused, he started to turn around until her heard a raspy voice muttering under her breath.

"Shit- crap, crap, crap."

"Uh, Amelia. You okay?" Owen asked worriedly as his eyes started to adjust to the darkness just in time to see Amelia sit up in bed and straighten her hair out.

"Um, yeah-" A hiccup interrupted her. "I'm fine. I'm fine," she continued, sounding like she was trying to convince herself more than him.

"But, oh God, I'm so sorry, Owen. I was just so tired after my surgery and fell asleep. I'll get ready, though, just give me a sec," she sniffled.

Walking towards the bed, Owen sighed when he saw her face. Her eyes were red and puffy with wet cheeks, explaining the hiccup in her voice. His heart immediately fell as he dropped himself next to her. Reaching up to dry her cheeks, he whispered to her.

"Melia, what's the matter? What happened?"

"Nothing, Owen. I told you- I'm just tired." Amelia grabbed his hand and started to stand up. "But I am hungry, so let's go."

Owen resisted her pull and tugged her back down next to him.

"No, no, Amelia Shepherd. We are not doing this," he firmly stated.

"Doing what, Owen? What are we not doing?" Amelia asked, exasperated.

"We're not hiding our emotions. We're feeling, remember?"

He couldn't let her close in on herself. They'd come so far- she'd come so far- too far to have that happen. There was no way in hell that he would let go back to bottling it all in. He needed her to let it out. If she wasn't going to let him in, then he'd sit right there on the outside until she did. He wrapped his arms around her and was surprised when she didn't push away. Instead, she scooted them backwards until the were sitting against the wall.

He looked over and to see a single tear fall from her eye, causing him to rub his hand up and down her arm.

"I'm here. You don't have to talk if you don't want to, but just know that I'm right here."

Her breathing started getting heavier and heavier.

"I know, I know, Mia. Feeling is hard, but I've got you."

Amelia responded by letting her sobs out. The tears flowed freely and her breath was so shallow, broken from the sobs. She dropped her head into Owen's lap and felt his fingers tangle into her hair so he could run them through her curls to the rhythm of his calming coos.

They sat there for what seemed like hours. Owen had always hated how the hard times seemed to span for eternity and the happy tended to disappear within the blink of an eye. With Amelia, though, he didn't care about having to endure the bad or and having fleeting moments of the good. As long as it was with her, he'd be right by her side.

"He was on his way to his well-baby visit," Amelia started as she broke Owen from his thoughts.

"Hmmm?" Owen questioned.

"My case today. He was on his way to his well-baby visit and what happens?! He ends up on my table because of some stupid drunk driver. These parents were on their way to bring their perfect, one-month old baby boy to his pediatrician and will now be lucky to leave the hospital with a severely brain damaged child. What is wrong with the universe?! The freaking irony! Why would this happen? He literally had his whole life ahead of him, Owen. People say that about teenagers and young adults, but he had first steps, and first words to say. He had teeth to pop threw his gums and his first time to roll over. Owen, he hasn't even lived one bit of his life. He doesn't even know what life is. And even if he lives, its pretty impossible that he will be able to do the majority of those things and I can't do anything about it. I hate it. I hate how messed up the universe is."

Owen pulled her into his lap and rocked her back and forth for a while. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Owen mumbled against the spot where his lips had touched her skin.

"I know, Meels. The universe can really suck. And I'm so so sorry that you had to go through that today. It's a hard enough case as it is and I know it must have brought you back."

He didn't need to continue for Amelia to know exactly what he meant.

"Ya. It was and it did." She let out a big sigh. She felt her breath hitch before she decided that she wasn't going to go there. Not today, at least. It wasn't that she was closing herself off or letting a wave of apathy wash over her, but it was that she had leaned to manage the grief instead of fighting it. It didn't mean that she missed her baby any less- it was actually quite the contrary- but she now was able to let herself feel the pain instead of burying it so far down.

"God, feeling really sucks."

Owen let out a chuckle. It wasn't that it was funny, but that the sheer amount of hurt Amelia had gone through within her lifetime so far was quite ridiculous.

"You've been through so much, Amelia, and I admire you so for it. You are the strongest person I know and when that strength wavers, just know that I'll be here to give you mine."

Scooting herself off of his lap and back onto the cot, she gave him a small smile. Missing the contact, she reached her hand over so her fingers could intertwine with his.

"I-I''m…thank you. I'm not fine, but I'm gonna be okay."

Pausing to down at her lap, she continued. "And I'm sorry I ruined our date, Owen."

"Hey, no, don't you say that. You did not ruin our date. You just saved us from some crappy cafeteria food."

Amelia let out a small chuckle.

"I have an idea, Meels. I'll go grab some leftovers from the attending's lounge and then we could just picnic in here."

"Wow, a picnic? A real picnic?" Amelia sarcastically joked.

Owen lifted his hand from the grasp of hers to swat her arm.

"Okay, Miss Sass. Here I am trying to be all romantic and you're just shutting me down. Now, you stay here and I'll be right back with our delicious picnic spread."

Amelia grabbed his hand once again as he started to stand up.

"No, don't. Let's just sit here for a while."

Owen sat back down and wrapped his arms around her before she slowly let herself and Owen lay down. Breathing in his scent, Amelia cuddled herself into Owen's chest and let out a long sigh

"I'm here, Meels. I've got you."


End file.
